


The Language of Love

by amandaterasu



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Dorks in Love, F/M, Found Family, Friendship/Love, Illiteracy, Language Barrier, Loneliness, Love Languages, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:42:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28762776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amandaterasu/pseuds/amandaterasu
Summary: Urianger and Sadayo (Raen/Xaela Au Ra WOL) fall quickly into love. But when an unexpected accident causes her to lose the Echo (along with the ability to speak the common tongueandread/write) the Scions have to work together to find a way to bridge the gaps - both emotional and linguistic.
Relationships: Urianger Augurelt/Warrior of Light
Comments: 9
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is self-indulgence on my part, but it's here so I have something to try to end this writer's block. I hope you enjoy it.

"Why didst thou require my presence at this affair again, Etienne?" Urianger asked his brother as they stood in the corner of the House Durendaire ballroom, sipping brandy.

"I require nothing; _you_ lost a bet," his elder brother reminded him. "Besides, I promised Mother on her deathbed I would take care of you."

"I hardly think she would approve of gambling."

"If she thought it might get you out of the library and into conversation with a few ladies, I daresay she would have dealt the cards herself." Etienne glanced around. "They're about to begin another round of dancing. You should pick a partner."

"I thought thou wert someone who valued thy position amongst these Ishgardian Houses." He took another drink of his brandy and tugged anxiously at the collar of the formal coat his brother had foisted on him. "Inflicting myself upon them will only reflect poorly upon thee."

"I only care because Cellianne cares," he said. "And maybe if you dance a few terrible dances the ladies will stop looking over here so hopefully."

"Prithee, wherefore wouldst they hope at all?"

"Because despite your insistence that you're nothing but an academic, you are still a Scion of the Seventh Dawn, so they are judging you as a compatriot of Sadayo's. You know, the _Savior of Ishgard."_ His brother swirled his drink. "I admit, I had half expected she would attend tonight."

Urianger nearly choked on his brandy. _"What?"_

"This is a gala to raise funds and show support for House Haillenarte's work on the Firmament." Etienne shrugged. "Rumor has it she's been helping the overseer _extensively."_

"The… overseer?" Words seemed to have fled him as he tried to get a grasp on the way his mind was reeling. Helping others had always been Sadayo's nature; why did the idea of her doing so _"extensively"_ make Urianger feel as though his heart had fallen out of his chest and into his stomach. 

"Francel de Haillenarte. He's the youngest son of the Count de Haillenarte. Got accused of heresy a few years back that nearly cost his life, but Sadayo swept in and saved him from the Witchdrop. They've been friends since."

"I see…" he mumbled, taking a larger than expected sip of brandy and attempting to file away his confusing reaction to examine later.

He failed, however, when Etienne said, "Oh! I spoke too soon; there she is!"

Urianger turned to find Sadayo as he had never seen her before: no armor, no weapons, but in a beautiful dark blue gown in the same shade as her hair, horns and scales. A young man in green was making the rounds with her, performing introductions.

"I must depart with utmost haste," he said abruptly to his brother. "I… I cannot, Etienne."

"And why not? You're friends with her, aren't you?" Laughing, he turned to face him and his smile died. "Twelve above… Are you in _love_ with her, Urianger?"

Over the years, Urianger had seen many ways that the Fates could be cruel. They gave the good and the young to death too soon, while letting the cruel and infirm live for decades. They pitted mortals against each other for nothing more than the place of their birth, and allowed the less fortunate to suffer and starve to sate the greed of men they would never meet. But never, in all his years, had he cursed the Fates more than he did that night, when they caused a natural lull in the conversations in the ballroom, and his brother's question echoed off the marble into the silence.

He could not even escape, because almost immediately he heard Sadayo call out, "Urianger?" And then she was crossing the ballroom to him, the subtle stars embroidered on her gown catching the candlelight and making her look far more delicate than he knew her to be. "Oh, Urianger, I had no idea you would be here." Then, to compound his suffering, she threw her arms around him in a warm hug - as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and not far more intimate than the greetings other men would give her.

With no other recourse, he let his arms fall gently around her, his hands coming to rest on the exposed skin of her back. Like all Au Ra women she was small, but it seemed tonight was the first time he realized it. "I admit," he said, before taking a moment to breathe. "I had not expected to see thee either, my lady." Urianger swallowed and tried not to think about the feel of her skin beneath his fingers. "Had I known thou wouldst look so beautiful in gowns, I would have endeavored to attend one of these Ishgardian affairs much sooner."

Her cheeks flushed pink as she pulled away and tittered behind her hand while the man in green approached. "Forgive me. Urianger, this is my friend, Francel de Haillenarte. Francel, this is one of my dearest friends, and a member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Urianger Augurelt."

"A Scion!" Francel's face broke into a wide smile and he shook Urianger's hand with surprising vigor. "It is an honor to have you with us, ser! But you must tell me, what has brought you to Ishgard?"

"Aah," Urianger set aside his brandy and glanced to Etienne. "Pray, allow me to introduce to thee my elder brother, Etienne Augurelt, husband to Cellianne de Durendaire."

Sadayo turned and Etienne caught her hand, bowing low and placing a kiss on it. "It is a delight to meet you, my lady. Urianger speaks of you often."

"Hopefully only good things," she joked. 

"Where you are concerned? Absolutely. But I fear I must begin our acquaintance by prevailing upon you for a favor." Urianger blanched, but was unable to stop Etienne before the words were already out. "My brother has been an absolute boor and not danced with a single soul this evening. Do you think you might be able to convince him to take the floor?"

Her eyes flicked back to him from his brother, and Urianger threw up his hands and shot Etienne a disgusted look. "Very well. It seems I shall not know serenity until I have danced with someone. Wilt thou be sated if her ladyship shall consent to dance with me?"

"Oh, quite," Etienne agreed.

"Well, don't let me stop you," Francel said with a slight chuckle before leaving Sadayo's side. 

The next thing Urianger knew, he was pulling the Warrior of Light onto the floor amidst the other couples as the dancing began again. Though most of his experience with dancing had come when he was a boy, still enrolled in the Studium in Sharlayan, he found he remembered the steps well enough, and Sadayo was skilled enough (or polite enough) to not notice any deficiencies in his footwork.

"I'm sorry for making you dance," she said quietly, pulling him out of his thoughts. "I just thought you would rather shut him up, and dancing with me would be better than a stranger." Her downcast eyes and anxious glance toward the crowds did far more than words to say she was beginning to doubt her own thoughts.

"Dancing with thee is far preferable to any other partner, stranger or no," he confessed, and when she lifted her eyes to his, he gave her an affable smile. "Still, though I have confessed what has brought me to the Holy See, I must ask thee why thou art here. I had not thought of thee as one to engage in politicking or construction projects."

Sadayo shrugged. "I feel at home here."

"And not amongst the Scions?" 

His confusion must have been evident, because she sighed. "You know I care deeply for all of you, but I have felt like an outsider since our return from the First."

"Pray, tell me why."

"Come on, Urianger. Isn't it obvious?" The steps of the dance pulled her away from him in an elegant swirl of midnight organza, but just as she arrived at the edge of his reach he caught Sadayo's hand and pulled her back into his arms. "You all - even G'raha Tia - you're all from Sharlayan."

"Thancred -" he began, but she interrupted him as he lifted her into the air.

"Yes, I know, Thancred wasn't _born_ in Sharlayan." Her fingers clutched at the shoulders of his formal coat as he took her through the turn, still holding her aloft. "But he lived there for a time; at least enough to become an Archon."

"Becoming an Archon is not particularly noteworthy," he began. "Why, G'raha Tia managed it without ever attending the Studium, and Thancred…" Urianger's voice fell away when he saw the irritated look on her face. "Forgive me. I did not mean to make light of thy misgivings. Thou art quite dear, and I know I speakest for the entirety of the Scions when I say it grieves me to hear that thou feeleth thyself an outsider."

They passed the next few moments in silence before she said, "I am sorry to have upset you."

"Thou hast not," he murmured, pulling her closer. "I am gratified that thou hast enough trust in me to be honest with regards to my feelings. Any pain I feel is at the realization that I needs must do more to express the sincerity of my affection."

Her cheeks, which had been just slightly pink before blossomed into deep vermillion as she said, "A-affection?"

Her stammered question brought him up sharply, realizing that he had already confessed when he was still coming to grips with the idea himself. Etienne had always been spot on with what Urianger was thinking; his unintentionally echoing question had not failed to find its mark.

He felt his own face heat with a blush and found himself at a loss for words, but took great comfort in the smile that was quickly replacing her irritable expression. "My lady, I -"

Another pair of dancers slamming into his shoulder made him realize that he and Sadayo had drifted to a stop, and she laughed through his mumbled apologies before they quickly returned to Etienne's side.

"Well," his brother said, laughing to himself, "That was…"

"Mortifying," Urianger supplied, picking up his brandy again. "Pray, forgive my distraction, my lady."

She waved one hand, dismissing the concern. "Don't worry about it." 

After that, they most of the evening pretending what had almost transpired on the dance floor hadn't, and due to his own cowardice he was forced to watch a number of gentlemen ask her to dance before the young Count de Fortemps - a man named Artoirel - came to collect her and they left together.

"Who is that gentleman to my dear friend?" he asked Etienne.

"By Ishgardian custom? A brother," Etienne explained. "When she came to the city after that trouble in Ul'dah she was taken in as a ward of House Fortemps, legally adopted by Artoirel's father, Edmont. Though the old man has abdicated his title in favor of his son, he still rules the manor and dotes upon her as the daughter he never had." His brother smirked as he collected their coats. "If you're asking me if they're lovers, certainly not. His tastes are rather particular, and though she shares a few similarities with his mistress, they aren't the ones that matter."

As more and more couples and families left, Etienne and Urianger made their exit as well, stepping out into the moonlit night. "I'll be glad to get home to Cellianne," Etienne said. "I always hate it when she makes me attend these things without her."

"Why didst thy lady wife decline to attend? Is she not of the House that hosted it?"

"Yes, but a cadet branch," he replied as they across the bridge that led towards a number of manors clustered together. "She was not feeling well, and decided to rest; one of us still needed to put in an appearance."

"At least I can content myself that thy bride was not present to witness my abject humiliation."

"Humiliation?" Etienne chuckled and came to a stop in the middle of an intersection. "Regardless, I think this is where we part ways."

"'Part ways'?" Urianger asked. "I am currently staying in _thy_ home. Wherefor would -"

His brother held up a hand to silence him. "You will find Lady Sadayo in the last manor on the left of that street," he pointed down a flight of stairs that led to a moonlit boulevard. "Just tell the knight at the gate that you wish to speak to her, House Fortemps is always very accommodating."

"Hast thou run _mad?"_ Urianger shouted with incredulity. "I can _not_ attempt to woo my dearest friend like she be the ingenue of a theatrical drama!"

"And why not?"

He threw his hands up in the air. "Mayhaps because she is the _Warrior of Light?_ Or the fact that she seest me not as a potential paramour?"

"Truly?" Etienne smirked. "Am I the only one who saw the way she blushed at you, then?"

"She was merely flushed from the exertion of dancing." Even Urianger could hear the petulance in his own voice, so he took a moment to calm himself before he continued. "Truly, brother, Sadayo is as impulsive as she is courageous. 'Though she be but little, she is fierce,'" he said, quoting an old play. "If she felt aught for me, she would not _dither."_

His elder brother groaned. "All right. But you will at least confess your affections, once you've had time to consider them? She may not have had ample opportunity to consider yet, and needs the suggestion put in her head."

"In good time. But now is not the hour for such revelations," he grumbled, and the two men turned, preparing to head down Etienne's street when they heard a door slam in the distance. 

The older Augurelt looked over his shoulder and grinned. "You are right about one thing, dear brother: she is not one to dither," he whispered. 

Failing to fight the urge, he looked back to see Sadayo in a dark blue cloak, just outside the last manor on the left, conversing with the knight stationed outside. He pointed toward them in the intersection, and Urianger knew he had lost this round. He felt Etienne clap him on the shoulder and heard him say, "I'll have some tea sent up to your rooms in about an hour or so." Then his brother abandoned him, leaving him alone in the intersection as Sadayo climbed the steps and approached.

"Urianger," she said breathlessly, and he couldn't tell if the pink in her cheeks were pink from the cold or the situation.

"My lady," he replied, and bowed formally. "I had thought thee already home in thy bed. What business bringest thee out in the dark of the night?"

She walked closer as he straightened to his full height, and he found himself anxious at the way she held his gaze as she said, "I had to see you."

"W-why?" His tongue felt thick in his mouth.

"You know why."

They stared at each other for a few heartbeats before he sighed heavily, conceding the point. "Though it is my most sincere wish that I could feign ignorance, I have given my most solemn vow to not lie to thee again. And yet, necessity demands that I ask your patience. Discussing matters of the heart has never been my forte."

"Nor mine," she conceded. "But I could not…" Sadayo stepped so close that he was looming over her as she looked up at him. "I could not insist you be open and honest with me and not offer you the same courtesy."

"Then let us be plainspoken in this matter, as much as either of us find ourselves capable." He took her hand and looped it through his arm, leading her toward his brother's home and out of the intersection. "I find myself overcome with feelings where thou art concerned. Feelings that I am desperate to comprehend in their entirety, but suffer nonetheless. I... find myself eager to learn if we might make better lovers than friends."

"So am I," she admitted, and leaned her head against his arm. "If we are being totally honest, I've had feelings for you for a long time."

"Truly?" he asked, rubbing his free hand over his face. "But thou hast not said a word! I was just telling Etienne that thou art far too courageous to wait! How long have these feelings plagued thee? Why wouldst thou wait?"

Sadayo looked away. "I had only just realized my feelings the day I met Moenbryda."

Urianger winced inwardly. "Ah."

"After that it was never the right time, you know?" 

"I should like to venture that now is the right time, if thou art amenable." He smirked down at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"Etienne's manor. When we noticed thee, he went ahead to have tea prepared, on the off-chance I might have a guest?" His voice lifted with a quarter-twist of question.

"I suppose you might." Releasing his arm, Sadayo placed both hands on the low stone wall beside her and climbed up onto it. The boost brought her up to eye level with Urianger, so he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist before they continued walking. "It just depends what you intend."

"My lady," he said, feigning offense. "Art thou implying that I might engage in activities the citizens of the Holy See of Ishgard would consider _scandalous?"_

"Maybe." She looked up at the night sky. "I can go back and we can talk about this in the morning, if you prefer. I know that I am one to act first and think later, but you aren't."

He stopped walking and turned to face her. "Sadayo."

She paused as well, and tilted her head so they were looking into each other's eyes. "Urianger?"

"I fear far more that thou shalt change thy mind before the morning than the consequences of anything thou and I might do before the dawn. I had my fill of both regret and remorse when it came to Moenbryda. I will _not_ allow myself to cower in terror and lose thee when -"

Sadayo's hands were frigid where they touched his cheeks, but he didn't stop speaking until he realized her lips were on his, the sharp tips of her horns just barely avoiding his face. He soon relaxed into it when he realized that - though sharp - they would not gore him accidentally. 

Whatever Urianger's other concerns might have been, they were quickly forgotten in that kiss, along with the cold and any sense of general propriety. As his fingers threaded into her hair they brushed over the scales of her jaw and around the base of her horn and Sadayo let out a noise that was most decidedly _not_ appropriate for a public street. 

She pulled away from him then, blushing and letting her navy hair fall into her face. "Sorry," she mumbled. "They're very sensitive."

Too many questions crowded his mouth, but now that they weren't kissing he was reminded of the bitter cold and her trembling, ungloved hands. That left only one he could ask for now.

"Might I invite thee in for tea, my lady?"

"Yes," she breathed out, pressing her forehead against his own. "I would like that very much."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Urianger and Sadayo make a decision about their relationship, and their plans are derailed by a mishap at Little Ala Mhigo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a little late but I was feeling it on Valentine's day so I hope you all enjoy.

If the servants in Etienne's house had an opinion on Urianger slipping in the side entrance with the Warrior of Light on his arm, they certainly said nothing. The head housekeeper took his evening coat and Sadayo's cloak, informing him that tea service had been sent up to his bedroom, then vanished into the dark, serpentine hallways of the manor.

After the older woman's departure, anxiety crowded Urianger's tongue. It was one thing to flirt with Sadayo in a ballroom and in the moonlight, but the reality of the situation washed over him like the waters of the Fuath here in the warmth of his brother's home. He lifted one hand, hoping to reach for her, but sudden fear stilled the motion.

Thankfully, the courage that he so admired in her saved him and Sadayo slipped her fingers into the curve of his elbow. "So tell me, Urianger: how did your Sharlayan brother end up living in the insular nation of Ishgard?"

A question he could answer easily. Thank the Gods for that. "Our family had always been small, but in the wake of Dalamud's fall my elder brother found himself the heritor of our family's fortune. As his pursuits were never scholastic, he made the decision to leave Sharlayan and sojourn into the wider world." He led her up the stairs to the halls that held the family's private chambers. "Whilst travelling he made the acquaintance of his future wife, Cellianne, and his heart would not allow him to venture far from her. She interceded on his behalf to her father, who made a request of the Count de Durendaire, and he was granted special dispensation to enter the city and marry her."

"And they already have child _ren?"_ she asked, a smirk settling on her lips. "The Calamity was only seven years ago."

"In this, my dear, my brother and I are quite similar; once we have chosen a path, we walk it without hesitation, no matter how arduous the road becomes." Sadayo said nothing as they came to a stop before the door to his rooms, so he extricated his arm and took her hand, lifting it to his lips. "If thou art unsure, there is no need for thee to join me. I wilt not be offended if thou hast changed thy mind." Offended, no, but heartbroken? Almost certainly. "I do not wish for thee to -"

"Urianger," she said quietly, interrupting him before he could offer to pretend this had never happened if she would prefer. "I have wanted you since the first time I saw you, and loved you nearly as long. The only one I'm worried about being unsure is _you."_

He chuckled and shook his head, opening the door with his free hand and pulling her in after him. "I have already told thee, Sadayo. Once I have chosen a path, I walk it without hesitation."

Her fingers slid over the fabric of his formal shirt, making his heart race and his mouth go dry. "I am sorry to say I plan to ask far more of you than walking, Urianger." 

"Thank the Twelve," he exhaled, and pulled her into his bedroom.

* * *

**One Year Later**

The clock in the hall of the Rising Stones had just finished chiming midnight as Urianger snatched up the book he and Sadayo had been reading and peeked out into the hall. A single lantern shone at the far end, but other than that the only light was that from beneath his lover's door. With careful steps he pulled his door shut behind him and crept to hers, opening it just as silently and slipping inside. 

Sadayo was waiting up for him, as she always did, but she had pulled her blankets up around herself against the unseasonable cold. "There you are," she grumbled. "Get over here already, it's freezing."

"Impertinent wench," he teased, and she stuck out her tongue, making him chuckle. "Thou art as troublesome as thou art lovely."

"Maybe so," Sadayo replied, and lifted the covers for him once he'd shucked his nightclothes so he could crawl into the bed beside her. "But you love me."

"Indeed, I do," Urianger agreed. He pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I canst hardly believe that it has been a year and thou art still patient with mine idiosyncrasies."

"You know I'm not patient," she teased. "I've never been patient." 

"Heavens forfend I afford my beloved more virtues than she may normally be found to possess." Leaning out of the bed, he set the book on the end table then turned back to her. "But I fear I must ask to forestall our usual activities for a time; there is a most pressing matter I wouldst discuss with thee." Wariness crept into Sadayo's face as she watched him. "Worry not, my dear. I hope it shall be a cause for celebration, not concern."

"We'll see," she said drily, still focused on him.

"Thou art aware that I love thee," he began, running a hand down her back. "We have been involved for a full year, and we are…" Sadayo's expression still hadn't changed, and it was making him nervous. "That is to say, _I_ am happy. And I hope thou art?"

Finally, her gaze softened and she rubbed one horn affectionately on his neck. "I am."

Urianger exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Excellent. Well, while we are both satisfied with this arrangement, I had begun to hope recently that we might have more." 

Sadayo stilled. "More, as in…?"

"It is my hope that thou wilt agree the time is right for us to inform our compatriots of our relationship." As soon as the words were out he worried his lip with his teeth. Her original reasons for wishing to keep their arrangement to themselves had been sound: not wanting to cause an uproar amongst their friends, especially should they find themselves unsuited; avoiding unnecessary pressure and ribald comments, especially from Thancred's quarter; and preventing those who may wish her ill will from targeting him in an effort to hurt her. "It has been a year, Sadayo," he whispered. "Dost thou still believe we may be unsuited?"

"No."

"Think'st thou that Thancred will make more than one or two jokes once it has been made clear to him that neither of us appreciate being teased, especially if I were to tell him they would be most unwelcome."

He felt her shoulders hunch against his chest. "No." 

Reaching up, he brushed one knuckle along the length of the horn that wasn't pressed into his skin. "Think'st thou that we are undeserving of the joys a more formal attachment might provide?"

"It's not that, it's -" Sadayo began, but he shook his head. 

"I know that thou art afraid for my safety. I beg thee, my beloved, do not deny us what happiness we might have for fear of losing it." 

Pulling away, she sat up in the bed beside him and drew her knees to her chest. "It's not that either. I do want to be serious with you, I want things to be _permanent_ with you, don't misunderstand. But there are things you need to understand about me that I'm not ready to talk about before we can take that step."

Urianger sat up and put an arm around her shoulders then pressed his lips to her temple. "Thou hast been my friend for years, Sadayo," he whispered. "Long before we were ever intimate. I love thee - fiercely, _ardently_ \- and there is nothing thou couldst tell me that could change that." 

She grumbled but leaned into him. "What if I told you I hated you?"

"I wouldst call thee a liar," he teased. "Thou hast ever been free to leave. Telling our compatriots of our attachment will not change that, and if thou shouldst decide that mine affections are no longer enough, I will let thee go, though it will shatter my heart."

"I won't," she breathed, turning to face him and clinging to his chest. "Urianger, you know I love you. I want this. I'm just afraid that -"

A heavy knock on her door made them both freeze, and Sadayo lifted her voice to be heard in the hallway. "Who is it?"

"It's me," Alisaie's voice replied "I wanted to talk to you without the others knowing. Can I come in?"

His lover's eyes squeezed shut as she winced, but she replied, "Give me a second." 

Sadayo climbed over him and kissed his cheek. "Go hide behind the screen," she whispered, then grabbed up her robe and belted it around her waist while he snatched up his clothes and hid.

He heard the door open, then a moment later Alisaie continued speaking. "I'm sorry to trouble you so late, but I was worried that he might know I came to talk to you."

"He who?" Sadayo asked.

"Alphinaud. Or G'raha Tia. Or both? I don't know." The girl's voice was rough with frustration. "You know that my brother has always been overprotective of me."

"I know."

"Well, recently, Raha and I have… um… that is to say…"

_"Alisaie,"_ Sadayo giggled. "You _didn't."_

"It was just a kiss! Then it become two, then three, and next thing I know Alphinaud has walked in and caught us kissing - _just kissing,_ don't look at me like that - and he's decided he has to 'protect my honor.'" Urianger failed to suppress a chuckle, and Alisaie said, "What was that?"

"Sorry," Sadayo said, coughing loudly. "I'm getting over a slight cold. Nothing to worry over." 

"Oh," the girl's voice seemed dubious. "Well, regardless, we're supposed to go to Little Ala Mhigo tomorrow to demonstrate how to cure tempering and leave a porxie with them, but now Alphinaud _insists_ on joining us, and I don't know how to get him to - well, forgive my Doman - _piss off."_

Urianger heard Sadayo's bright laughter, and used it to cover some of his own before she said, "Why don't we ask Urianger in the morning if he'd like to come with us as well. With both Urianger and I there to bother Alphinaud, I'm sure you'll find a few moments to speak with G'raha. Plus, since Urianger has known you two since childhood, Alphinaud might look to him for guidance on how far is _too_ far with protecting your honor."

"Oh, that would be splendid," Alisaie replied, relief evident in her voice. "Anything to get him to give us some space."

"Exactly," Sadayo agreed. "Now why don't you get some sleep. I'll talk to Alphinaud after our trip tomorrow if he hasn't calmed down."

"Right, I'm sorry for bothering you so late." He heard their footsteps heading towards the door.

"It's fine. I'm glad you felt safe enough to come to me about this. Now go to bed."

"All right, I do have more I want to talk about though, but it can wait."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Alisaie gave a nervous giggle. "It's just about how to… ah… well, if one were to want to do _more_ than kissing…" 

"You know, for a country that claims to educate their citizens so well you certainly know very little that is practical," Sadayo teased. "We can discuss it in a few days. After our trip tomorrow I have some other business to take care of, then I will be happy to have that talk with you."

"Thank you, Sadayo," Alisaie said. "Good night."

"Good night," she replied, and he heard the door click firmly, and the tumblers turn as she locked it. 

Urianger slipped out from behind the folding screen, smirking mischievously. "It seems it is the season for romance." 

"How could it be? You don't have a romantic bone in your body." 

He approached and squeezed her hand three times - It had always been their sign to each other, when they wanted to convey their love silently - then scooped her up into his arms and carried her the few steps to the bed. "It could be in thine, if thou art interested."

"You're an absolute _cad,_ Urianger Augurelt," she said. 

"And yet," he said, lowering her into the bed. 

"And yet," she agreed, pulling him down with her. He tugged at the belt that held her robe shut, pulling it open to reveal his lover's body before he lowered his lips to the tiny square of flesh at her throat between the scales.

Beneath him, Sadayo gasped and arched her back, pressing her body up against him. Taking the invitation, Urianger let his hands wander the familiar landscape of her body, one moving to the small of her back to keep her close while the other pushed her legs apart so he could settle between them. The year they had spent together had done more than just assure him that this was the woman he wanted to spend his life with; it had also shown him the bliss of having a partner who he knew as intimately as he knew himself.

"I love thee," he murmured into her skin as he slid inside her. 

Sadayo's thighs tightened on his hips and she threaded her fingers into his hair. "I love you to-" she began, but he didn't let her finish, capturing her mouth with his own as he bore her down into the mattress beneath him. 

As much as he enjoyed kissing her - and it also muffled the way she cried out for him so no one else could hear - the ardor of their lovemaking soon forced him to part from her for gulping, ragged breaths that filled the space between their lips. 

Still holding her close, he brought his free hand up and caught one of her horns in his grip, tilting her head up and away so that he could drag his teeth over the scales on her neck and down to the skin on her shoulder. Urianger knew he shouldn't; biting her while they made love nearly always resulted in her crying out for him, but _Twelve_ , the way Sadayo keened for him when she did was enough to make him climax on the spot. 

Tonight was no different.

* * *

"So all the porxie requires is at least one person skilled in aetheric manipulation," Alisaie said, standing before the assembled citizens of Little Ala Mhigo. "They channel their aether into the familiar, and then he will remove the tempering while keeping their memories intact."

A few people shifted uncomfortably, and Urianger could see the way the girl quailed under such public scrutiny. "Come on, Alisaie," G'raha Tia whispered from Urianger's side. "You can do this." Alphinaud glared at the Miqo'te, but said nothing, so Urianger chose not to intervene.

"Of course," Alisaie added, as if to give balm to her nervousness, "in more severe cases of tempering you may need multiple people to channel into the porxie, but even a novice spellcaster should be more than capable of adding their aether." The girl looked out at the crowd. "Does anyone have any questions?"

A woman with a pinched face glanced dubiously between the girl and the Porxie. "And it doesn't kill them?"

"Not at all," Alisaie said. "I'm happy to provide a demonstration, if you've someone who needs to be untempered."

Gundobald, the leader of the settlement, shook his head. "We put them out of their misery as soon as we're sure. No sense dragging out the suffering."

"Perhaps you could try it on someone who isn't tempered," G'raha Tia suggested. "It would have no effect, of course, but you could at least demonstrate the simplicity of the process." He licked his lips. "And perhaps our comrades could assist you, to demonstrate how multiple people might work in concert to bring about the result?"

Alisaie smiled brightly. "That is an excellent idea. All we require is a volunteer to undergo the process." She looked hopefully at the crowd, but none spoke up.

Just before the silence became awkward, Sadayo announced, "I'll do it. I've the Echo, so I'm immune to tempering, but I'm not afraid of the process." She laughed and approached Alisaie and the porxie. "At the worst, I may need to rest afterward. I assume I can trust my compatriots to see me home safely?"

"Of course," Alphinaud said, but he was glaring at G'raha Tia, more focused on him than the task at hand. 

Urianger approached, and put a hand on Sadayo's shoulder. "I thank thee for volunteering. Young Miss Leveilleur has enough on her plate all considering." He nodded pointedly toward Alphinaud and G'raha bristling at each other.

Sadayo giggled. "It's fine. I think their row will be forgotten tonight. I was thinking we could tell everyone when we return to the Rising Stones?"

"A sound plan," he agreed, and squeezed her shoulder three times in quick succession, before joining the others. "Art thou prepared?" 

Nodding once, Sadayo's face settled into placid serenity. "Whenever you're ready, Alisaie."

Alisaie grinned. "Right. So as I said, first I'll channel into the porxie." She lifted one hand and allowed a steady stream of aether to flow from her into the familiar, guiding it toward Sadayo. "And now my fellow Scions will join me." G'raha, Alphinaud, and Urianger all lifted their hands to offer their energy as well.

The porxie swayed in the air, and the magic it was channelling into Sadayo intensified. A small frown flickered across her face, and she met Urianger's gaze - then the channelling was complete and the Warrior of Light fell to her knees. 

Hearing the crowd gasp, Urianger held up a hand. The last thing they needed was for them to take her temporary infirmity as a sign the detempering didn't work. Pressing a hand to her head, Sadayo stood, then laughed weakly. She said a few words in a language he didn't recognize, with a soft, musical quality. 

"Art thou all right, my lady?" he asked warily.

Sadayo spoke again, and the only word he could understand was his own name in a strange accent, emphasizing some syllables more than others. She smiled, but it was faltering.

Alisaie frowned, then looked between G'raha and Sadayo, before whispering, "Oh _no."_

Sensing something was amiss, the Miqo'te put on a wide showman's smile. "It seems the Warrior of Light is rather stunned, and has slipped into her native tongue. As we mentioned earlier, she may need some rest, so we will escort her home now." 

Alphinaud nodded, then looked pointedly at Gundobald. "Regardless, she hasn't died, and I hope the demonstration was enough that your citizens might use the porxie without our interference?"

The old Ala Mhigan nodded. "Should be. I'd be more vocal about my gratitude, but Miss Kiyohara's looking a bit dizzy. You should get her home."

"Quite," Urianger agreed, watching Sadayo. Alisaie had gone to her side and was saying something in the same language, though he could tell the girl's grasp on the tongue was absolutely atrocious. 

G'raha Tia headed for the two women, but stopped near Urianger and Alphinaud, and said in a low voice, "We need to get Sadayo back to the Rising Stones at once."

Urianger nodded and moved to his lover's side. Alisaie looked up at him, alarmed. "She's speaking Doman, but… it's a dialect," she whispered. "She keeps asking for you and Yugiri. That's all I can make out."

"Sadayo." He turned to face her and licked his lips. "Sadayo, thou must focus," Urianger said. They had adventured together before - on the First, when they had prevented the Eighth Umbral Calamity, and on the Source on numerous occasions. Never before had he seen her so afraid, not even when she had been on the brink of losing herself to the Light. "My love?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Sadayo took the hand he'd pressed to the side of her face, and squeezed it three times.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this fic and would like to know more of what's going on with me and my writing, you can check out my twitter: [@amandaterasu](https://www.twitter.com/amandaterasu/)!
> 
> If you want to hang out with me and my friends, we have our own discord where we chill out: [The Majestic Imperial Theater Company](https://discord.gg/eXUfUXG)!


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